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"All schools will need to apply for funding under the national school chaplaincy program."

Labor Senator Jacinta Collins asked if schools which now had secular welfare workers - about one in five of those in the scheme - had to encourage them to "get religion" or be ordained, lose their counsellor, or find a new, religious chaplain.

Education parliamentary secretary Scott Ryan said there was no prohibition on schools hiring secular workers, they just wouldn't be able to use funds from this program.

"What justifies the change is our commitment that we made to support the school chaplaincy program," he said.